Vast arrays of products are made with synthetic polymers, also referred to as synthetic resin or plastic. For example, most headsets, such as those used for electronic devices like cellular phones and portable music players, have one or more cables (also referred to as earphone cords) and speaker sets that are formed from molded and/or extruded plastic. The cable is made from extruded plastic with one or more wires therein. At one end of the cable is a connector, such as a jack for connection to the electronic device. The connector is overmolded to that end of the cable with plastic, and a strain relief, also of plastic, is provided thereat. The other end of the cable may be coupled directly to a speaker set, or to a junction at which a pair of further cables split off to couple to a pair of speaker sets (one for each ear). The connection to the speaker set(s) may also include a strain relief which is typically made of plastic. The wiring in the cable is thus provided to electrically couple the speaker set(s) to the connector, which in turn can be coupled to the electronic device which delivers the audio to the speaker set(s) therethrough.
Headsets for communication devices, such as cellular telephones, might also have an intermediate microphone assembly along the cable, or one of the pair of cables. The microphone includes a plastic housing and a plastic switch knob, and may also include plastic strain reliefs at each end of the microphone through which the cable connects thereto.
Plastics are relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and possess desirable physical characteristics. But plastics also tend to maintain their state for long periods of time, often measured in decades or more, and so present environmental concerns, especially in light of the modern tendency to simply discard plastic products after use. Many of these products end up in the environment, where they can present hazards to human, animal, or fish life. Landfills are also used as a repository for disposal, but that is not only environmentally undesirable, it is also expensive. Some plastic products are incinerated, but that, too, presents environmental concerns and expense. Finally, some plastic products are recyclable, but recycling is often overlooked or considered too expensive.
One solution to these problems is to employ polymers which are naturally degradable. Degradable polymers are divided into two general classes of photodegradable and biodegradable. Photodegradable polymers degrade when exposed to light, such as sunlight, while biodegradable polymers degrade when exposed to certain microorganisms and humic acid in soil. It has been proposed to create a biodegradable polymer by adding biodegradable materials, such as starch, to the synthetic resin. But the addition of such materials to the resin can change the performance of the polymer which might adversely affect the physical characteristics of the plastic products made therefrom rendering them undesirable or unsuitable for their intended use. The situation is particularly acute for cables, which by their very nature are intended to be flexible, yet durable.